New soap

It's been awhile since my last post. nearly a year. Oh well, I promise to post more often as of now :)

Recently I've been experimenting with some new soap recipes. This is my favourite part of soapmaking. I take my time to think about the oils I want to use. Researching their qualities. Then put my recipe in SoapCalc and play with quantities. I'm still trying to create a palm oil free soap, but till now didn't really have much time to concentrate on it. And finally last month I made a tester batch of soap which i'm really happy about. I've used Cocoa Butter and Hemp seed oil, which add conditioning properties to the soap and Castor oil for a lovely lather. Untill now, I have never used colourants in my soap. But I've decided to give mineral clays a go. So I've added some Yellow clay to this batch, which is great for normal and oily skin.

New Ylang-Ylang & Lavender soap with Hemp seed oil and Yellow clay

I've also tried new blend of essential oils which surprisingly I loved a lot. I have never been a fan of Ylang-Ylang essential oil (too heavy for me). But in combination with my favourite Lavender and refreshing Mandarin, it turned out to be a very nice scent. I'm going to make my full size batch of this new soap this month and see what my customers think. Hopefully they will like it as I do.

New Moisturising oil

So excited to introduce my new product - Moisturising facial oil. Took me so long to create it. Trying  out different plant oils, on its own first and then in different combinations, until I was happy with the result. End finally I've got it right! It turned out just amazing. It's light and not greasy yet nourishing and moisturising - just what you need :). Will go into more details about ingredients. All natural plant oils. I was looking for hydrating and moisturising qualities in oils that would be easily absorbed by the skin, leaving it soft hydrated and supple.

Avocado oil - It is used when the skin is dry, tired and lacks lustre, as the oil gives shine and lustre to any skin - See more at: 
Apricot Kernel oil - It enhances skin elasticity and has a soft and smooth quality on the skin
Jojoba oil - An excellent oil for protecting the skin from water, wind, dirt, cold and all kinds of weather conditions. The excellent level of protection is due to the fact Jojoba is actually a liquid wax and that wax forms a transparent, protective film on the skin, which stops the transepidermal water loss.
Watermelon oil - provides nourishing moisture without clogging the pores, which makes it an excellent choice for balancing the skin. The array of potent vitamins and minerals contained in the oil feed the skin and help it to flourish. 

For essential oils I've chosen
Palmarosa - which has excellent skin care properties as it moisturises the skin and balances hydration levels. It balances sebum production so useful for all skin types and keeps the skin supple and flexible
And Lavender - my personal favourite which has really long list of beneficial properties. It is great for sensitive skin and for minor irritations.I hope my customers will like it :)

I hope my customers will like it :)

Lavender fields

Yesterday started not really good, but worked out being a wonderful day. We accidentally drove passed a lavender farm, and being an absolute lavender addict I couldn't  not to pop in. Even the lavender wasn't in full bloom the filed still looked standing. We picked two bags of the fragrant herb and now my house smells amazing.

Lavender is very versatile and I love using it in my handmade products :)

New products

Our new Aromatherapy Bath salts and Bath Truffles are now available on our website http://zestysoap.co.uk/ and our Etsy shop https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/ZestySoap

Our Bath Salt is a luxurious blend of mineral rich Dead Sea Salt and detoxifying Epsom Salt scented with pure essential oils.

Dead Sea Salt revitalises the skin and helps to draw out toxins. It is well known for its ability to relieve aches and pains, reduce stiffness after exertion, relax the muscles and relieve skin problems.

Epsom Salt can soothe and relax muscle pains, draw toxins from the body, sedate the nervous system, reduce swelling and bruising. It can also help improve circulation.

 

Our bath truffles are made with soothing Epsom Salt and a combination of nourishing and moisturising cocoa and shea butters. Infused with essential oils these bath truffles are a real treat for your skin. 

Nourishing Whipped Butter

It was my first attempt in making whipped butter, and I absolutely loved it. It is really easy to make and I am very pleased with the result. I wanted to make rich and nourishing butter for very dry skin on my feet, so I've chosen to use Mango butter and Avocado oil. Why? 

Mango butter is an excellent emollient. It has regenerative properties and helps speed up wound healing. It is perfect for dry, damaged, irritated and mature skin types. It contains triterpenes, which help protect the skin against environmental damage.

Avocado oil is a mild, nourishing, semi-fatty oil, rich in vitamins. It is used when the skin is dry, tired and lacks lustre. The oil spreads well and is excellent in massage oils for mature and dry skin.

I've added my favourite essential oils - Tea Tree and Lavender which  both have antiseptic and healing properties thus perfect for foot butters.

How to make Whipped butter

You will need:

Mango butter 80 grams

Avocado oil 19 grams

Essential oils 1 grams

Note: I recommend this recipe for very rich and nourishing butter, but you can chose any other combination of butters and oils, depending on how rich or light you prefer you whipped butter to be. It's great time to experiment and try different combinations until you find what works for you.

How to guide

1. Weight 80 grams of butter.

2. Melt it using "Bain Marie" or in a microwave.

3. Weight out 19 grams of oil and add it to your melted mango butter.

4. Put the jug in a freezer for a couple of minutes until butter looks creamy and starts forming crust on top.

5. Take it out of the freezer, add essential oils and start whipping.

6. Whip it until it doubles in size.

Put it in a container and enjoy!

                  

                                            

Bath Salts

Finally new supplies turned up this week and I quickly made some new bath salts, product I was thinking and researching for a while. So here they are! Packed with minerals rich Dead Sea salt and Epsom Salt and scented with pure essential oils. Relaxing Lavender and revitalising blend of Eucalyptus and cedarwood (I hope our male customers will love this one).

Market Stall

Our stall at Cambridge Market. Come and see us every Saturday at All Saints Craft Market